Tag Archives: marketing

No this is not an anti technology diatribe, rather it is an effort to have you think about how you use it and whether what you do truly benefits you and your company.

Relationships are based on mutual respect and mutual interest that can provide over a period of time mutual benefits. Do you have that in mind or do you simply use technology as a way to “drown” your client in your communications to the point they turn a “deaf” ear and “blind” eye to your message(s)? If you have no interest in building relationships, do
your employer a favor and go to work for the competition.

A key aspect of building relationships is showing respect you have for your customer or prospect’s time. Technology has given us the capability to do more, but “more” is neither always better nor effective or cost efficient. Continue reading →

Common Sense Marketing: Out of Sight = Out of Mind
One of the most effective ways to accomplish the repetitiveness desired is the use of promotional products, which in my younger days were referred to as advertising specialties. They are a multi-billion dollar industry because they work. They deliver:

Residual impact, which is what you need to look for and depending on your budget this is one area to give serious thought to, but in highly creative approaches. Keep in mind an imprinted message doesn’t disappear after 10, 30 or 60 seconds. It’s there to be viewed repeatedly for an extended period of time. Continue reading →

“There is no such thing as ‘soft sell’ or ‘hard sell’. There is only ‘smart sell’ and ‘stupid sell.'” – Charles Brower

In this era of high technology advances, high technology success stories and high technology hype it is very easy to overlook the fact that the basics of marketing haven’t changed except to become more important in the high stakes game of technology.

Customers and investors have to be gained and retained. Customers, employees and investors need to be communicated to, educated and satisfied. Customers, employees and investors need to be motivated and stimulated. Communications need to be clear and easy-to-understand. The need to create and maintain high awareness among customers, employees and investors is key to business success.

“No living being is held by anything so strongly as its own needs.” – Epictetus

Common Sense Marketing Basic #1: Where are we located? Are we user friendly?

If the idea is to get more people to communicate their needs or concerns to you as well as to drive them to interact with your website, blog or Internet “whatever”, then an emphasis has to be taken to ensure communicating with you is easy. You have to be sure that electronic addresses (e-mail,/website/blog, etc) are known to the targeted audience and not easily forgotten. You also have to avoid the trap many businesses fall into who are in love with the Internet; they fail to supply mailing addresses and phone contact information on their site. Millions of business people prefer traditional ways to contact you as a primary form of communication.

Exposure of your various contact addresses should be incorporated into every format of communication that reaches out to your target audience be it your advertising, stationary, website or the promotional products your sales force gives away at trade shows.

“You cannot create experience. You must undergo it.” – Albert Camus

Action Step: Review your website, stationary, business cards with the question, “Am I making it easy for potential customers to contact me?”

A Different Perspective…
By Leslie R. Wolff, A Marketing CurmudgeonAre you a Smart Thinking CEO or a dumb one? Take this questionnaire and find out.

“An inadequate chief executive officer’s time at the top is always too long no matter how short.” – Malcolm Forbes

A key result of this questionnaire is that you will have a better perspective of how you are viewed by all those individuals who interact with you and your company. Perhaps you don’t really care how you or your company are perceived. If that’s true there is no reason to take this exercise because you’ve already proven you are not only dumb but stupid as well and probably in a serious denial state of mind.

In today’s economy the answer to that will interest a lot of people (shareholders, customers, employees, vendors). The answer will impact (or infect) every aspect of your business and the public’s perspective of you. Do you really know if you’re a Smart Thinking CEO? Can you prove it? The questionnaire below will provide you with the answer. Don’t worry you don’t have to share it with anyone; it is for your personal edification. Continue reading →